The present invention relates generally to door trims for vehicles and, more particularly, to a door trim assembly and method of making the same for an automotive vehicle.
It is known to provide a door trim assembly for a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle to present an aesthetically pleasing appearance in an occupant compartment of the automotive vehicle. The door trim assembly includes a plurality of separate components with each component having a specific function. The components typically include a door trim substrate, sound absorber, water barrier, insert, armrest, and map pocket closeout and side impact blocks. The components are assembled together and attached to the door trim substrate by several different conventional processes including adhesives, heat staking, and sonic welding. The door trim assembly is then mounted to an inner door panel of a door for the automotive vehicle by suitable means such as fasteners.
Although the above door trim assembly has worked well, it is desirable to reduce the number of components and cost associated with the purchase and assembly of the door trim assembly. It is also desirable to provide a door trim assembly with reduced mass and tooling per vehicle. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an improved door trim assembly and method of making same which includes a single component with multi-functions for attachment to an inner panel of a door for an automotive vehicle.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new door trim assembly and method of making same for an automotive vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a door trim assembly that incorporates many components into a single component for attachment to an inner panel of a door for an automotive vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a door trim assembly that is multi-functional for attachment to an inner panel of door for an automotive vehicle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a door trim assembly which has fewer components and cost.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new method of making a door trim assembly.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a door trim assembly for attachment to an inner panel of an automotive vehicle. The door trim assembly includes at least one component and a single carrier formed from a plastic material for attachment to the inner panel of the automotive vehicle and incorporating the at least one component into the plastic material and a door trim substrate attached to the carrier.
Also, the present invention is a method of making a door trim assembly for attachment to an inner panel of an automotive vehicle. The method includes the steps of placing at least one component into a cavity of a mold. The method includes the steps of filling the cavity with a plastic material. The method includes the step of introducing steam into the mold to expand the plastic material and incorporate the at least one component into the plastic material to form a single carrier and removing the carrier from the mold. The method includes the step of attaching a door trim substrate to the carrier.
One advantage of the present invention is that an improved door trim assembly and method of making same is provided for an automotive vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the door trim assembly integrates a plurality of components into a single component. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the door trim assembly reduces the number of separate components, cost and tooling for the same. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the door trim assembly reduces mass and minimizes wind noise. A further advantage of the present invention is that the door trim assembly provides a barrier, reduces noise and improves vehicle acoustical characteristics.